My friend and I both bought Micro 4/3rds format cameras (Mine is a Lumix GF1, his the Olympus EP-2) The format is very friendly to legacy lenses, with a range of adapters available for the various styles of lens mounts. We've been trading old lenses and getting great results. Last weekend we had dinner together, and did some lens swapping.

@ COOP - I can see what you mean, although we are looking at it with digital media, it does seem to have a pleasing effect. It's almost like there is less eye fatigue while viewing them. I have a nice old Zeis lens. Perhaps I should hunt down an adapter for it.

@ COOP - I can see what you mean, although we are looking at it with digital media, it does seem to have a pleasing effect. It's almost like there is less eye fatigue while viewing them. I have a nice old Zeis lens. Perhaps I should hunt down an adapter for it.

Yeah, film-lovers often complain that digital doesn't capture as much information as film, but I think the problem goes in the opposite direction - digital captures too much information. Using older lens with a digital body kills a bit of that for me. Shooting at a higher ISO with legacy lenses also seems to soften up the digital "noise" that comes with shooting in low-light conditions, and makes it look more like film grain.

Both the EP-2 and the Panasonic GF1 are terrific cameras, and the universal mount and adapter rings mean you can fit almost any lens you have on the body. The Olympus has in-camera image stabilization and a better LCD viewfinder, but I think the sensor and processing are better on the GF1, plus it feels more sturdy and solid.

Shooting at a higher ISO with legacy lenses also seems to soften up the digital "noise" that comes with shooting in low-light conditions, and makes it look more like film grain.

I am pretty sure that there is no way that a lens can physically affect noise on a DSLR, as all noise is generated sensor-side. Sensor-read noise, thermal noise and PRNU are not a result of light quality but sensor mechanics. The only type of digital noise dealing with light input is photon shot noise, but it deals with average photon flux, which isnt affected by the optics.

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